PEARS. 



121 



eye is inserted in a broad cavity, slightly excavated ; the skin, 

 which is at first light green, becomes of a lemon colour at full 

 maturity, the part exposed to the sun's influence sometimes ac- 

 quires a faint red tint, it is likewise wholly scattered over 

 with small russet specks ; the flesh is firm, dry or without much 

 juice, possessing a very slight acidity of flavour, scarcely 

 musky, and in general not very agreeable, but when cooked it 

 is far better ; the seeds are very oblong, dark brown, and often 

 abortive ; the centre around which their cells are placed is hol- 

 low ; the fruit does not ripen before the month of April, and 

 keeps until in July without getting soft, but becomes much 

 wrinkled. 



The pear described in the first edition of Duhamel by the 

 same name, appears to differ from this in several quite distinct 

 traits, and especially in the quality of its flesh ; for in that pub- 

 lication it is stated to ripen in December, January, and Febru- 

 ary, to be very buttery, without astringency, quite bland and 

 agreeable, and to become mealy when the period of its per- 

 fection is past, and soon gets soft. Touching other points to 

 be considered, the pear first described has no other affinities 

 with the Common English pear, or L^Angleterre-ordinaire, 

 which ripens in September, than a slight resemblance in its 

 form, and it may be perceived by the descriptions that in other 

 respects these two fruits are evidently distinct from each other. 



SARASIN. PR. CAT. Roz. Dun. 

 Sarrazin. 



This pear is oblong, with but little regularity of form, 

 somewhat contracted next the head, where the eye is situated 

 even with the fruit ; it is thirty lines in height, and twenty-two 

 in diameter ; the stem is large, and six to ten lines in length ; 

 the skin, on the shaded side, is at first green, but becomes pale 

 yellow at maturity the side next the sun is tinged with brown- 

 ish red, and strewed with gray dots ; the flesh is almost melt- 

 ing, of a sweet, rich, and partially perfumed flavour ; the seeds 



16 



